When Rachel DeLoache Williams first met Anna Delvey, she was impressed with the woman’s ambition but didn’t think all that much about it. Anna, introduced as a German heiress, was trying to open her own art gallery and retail space in Manhattan. At the time, Rachel was busy with her job in the photo department at Vanity Fair and her friends and her boyfriend. It didn’t even really register with her that Anna had left town, until she returned many months later and sought out Rachel’s friendship.
What started as a few drinks after work every once in a while soon became dinners and workout sessions and spa visits. As Rachel’s boyfriend traveled for work, she had more time to spend with friends in the city, and more of that time went to Anna. While Anna had some rough edges, she also had a glamorous lifestyle, and she generously shared that with her friends. The wines got more expensive. The meals were at top restaurants. The workout sessions were with a top personal trainer. Rachel did what she could to pay her own way, but sometimes Anna insisted on paying the bill.
And then when Anna suggested that she take Rachel on a fully paid trip to Marrakech, how could Rachel say no?
Anna said she would make all the arrangements, buy the airline tickets, book them a private riad (almost a house, really) within a five-star luxury resort, take care of the activities. She was also going to bring along a videographer, as she wanted to make a documentary in part about this trip. Rachel was very excited about the trip to Morocco, but it was on the trip that everything fell apart.
Anna was having trouble booking their airline tickets, as she was suck in meetings, so she asked Rachel to take care of it. Rachel worked on travel arrangements all the time, so she knew just what to do. And when Anna’s credit card wouldn’t go through, she put the airline tickets on her American Express card instead. She knew Anna would pay her back. And when the luxury resort insisted on her credit card to put on file for the room, Rachel knew Anna would take care of the final bill.
And then Anna came back home to find almost $70,000 in charges on her credit cards and no reimbursement forthcoming from Anna. As the weeks and months go by, Rachel trying desperately to get her money back, to no avail. Finally she had to admit the truth: “I think I’ve been conned.”
While it seems like only the most naive of us could be taken in by a fake friend like this, the truth is that we are all vulnerable. Con artists know us better than we know ourselves and are able to find our weaknesses in an instant. My Friend Anna tells the whole tale of the friendship, from the initial meeting all the way through Anna’s criminal trial.
While Rachel is very honest about the journey she took, she is also smart, savvy, and has a genuine gift for storytelling. Reading her story feels a little like a morality play and a little like a long talk with a good friend. I admire her writing skill and her openness as she shares her experiences with us, baring her mistakes and her struggles to heal from the toxic friendship.
I really enjoyed My Friend Anna, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in true crime, con artists, the psychology of users, or readers who just love a good story told well.
A copy of My Friend Anna was provided by Gallery Books through a Goodreads giveaway, with many thanks.